


Temper, Princess!

by BoreasAnemos



Series: Redder than her hair [1]
Category: Rebuild of Evangelion | Evangelion: New Theatrical Edition
Genre: Aftercare, Anger Management, Bonding, Domestic Discipline, Domestic Fluff, F/F, Non-Sexual Intimacy, Spanking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-24
Updated: 2019-10-24
Packaged: 2021-01-02 07:16:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,311
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21157739
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BoreasAnemos/pseuds/BoreasAnemos
Summary: Asuka and Mari have an agreement - and Asuka is about to both suffer and enjoy the consequences of it.Set during Evangelion: Rebuild 3.33.





	Temper, Princess!

**Author's Note:**

> **On content:** If you came here from my other stories and missed the tags, please be warned: this is something different. It is still my style, it's just not like the others Eva stories I wrote - there's a little bit more kink in it.
> 
> **On characters’ age:** the story takes place during Evangelion Rebuild 3.33, so all relevant pilots are currently 27 or 28 years old. I assume that “Curse of Eva” that keeps their appearance unchanged was merely an excuse to keep the characters recognizable; it would make more sense overall to assume that the Evas would have slowed their aging, but not stopped it.
> 
> **Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters, concepts, or names. This is work of a pastiche.

The soft rumbling of the Wunder’s engines was a familiar and soothing sound; it grew only slightly louder since they took to the air.

On the other hand, Shinji’s annoying questions and persistent fumbling was neither familiar nor soothing. Asuka was growing increasingly irate from listening to it. “Fourteen years have passed since then, idiot Shinji” she finally interjected, annoyed by his prattle. Finally, he noticed her.

“A-Asuka?” he yelled in disbelief and with exhilaration. “Thank goodness you're okay, Asuka!”

She took a few snap steps and hit the glass wall separating them at the level of his eyes. The glass broke and she twisted her lips in a crooked smile.

“It's no good. I can't stop myself. I've been holding it in all these years” she spoke up, hatred obvious in her voice. She raised her eyes and stared at him.

Shinji promptly dropped on his butt, clearly shocked.

“What was that for?” he asked, his voice confused.

“It came from my pent-up anger and grief” Asuka explained in an off-hand tone, contrasting with anger still visible in her eyes.

“What's this about?” he kept asking, before turning his attention to her eyepatch, making her even more annoyed with him, annoyed enough to storm off quite quickly to avoid further violence.

“Asuka!”, called in a desperate voice, chased her. She scoffed and ignored it.

***

“Protecting Unit-01 is our top priority!” came over the comms as she was on her way to her battle station.

“Unit-08, you're ready to go, right?” Asuka called in a voice surprisingly composed for someone running.

“Oh, but of course!” came a cheerful voice of Mari Makinami; the slight muffling indicated she was already in her Eva. “I'm at it right now, Princess! By the way, how was Pups?” she inquired. “Did he sit and behave?”

“He hasn't changed at all” Asuka grumbled. “He still has that drowsy, stupid face.”

“You sure you didn't visit him just to see his face?” Mari teased.

“No! I went there just to punch it! Now I feel so much better!” Asuka replied with cheer in her voice.

Mari just frowned.

***

The two girls were sitting in the room they shared; they were already in their nightclothes – which in both cases consisted of an old t-shirt, loose shorts, and woolen socks. Mari was almost done with Asuka’s hair, having brushed them with due attention. She was already relaxed and happy from Asuka’s ministrations and was now returning the favor. Taking care of each other was something they did from time to time, usually in times of tension or outright stress; events of today certainly qualified.

Finally, she put the brush down and slid down from the bunk bed to join Asuka on the floor. The carpet they had here was luxury by ship’s standards, something they had to barter and bargain for; it took a lot of their extra food rations.

“Princess, what really happened there?” Mari finally asked.

“M? Where?” Asuka finished her stretch and turned to her, confused.

“In the isolation? With Puppy Boy?” Mari looked at her with a hint of worry. “You didn’t actually punch him, did you?”

Asuka sighed and turned her stare to the floor.

“I told you. I did go there to punch him in his stupid face” she shrugged. “But they wouldn’t let me in, so I just punched the glass on the level of his face” she admitted with a chuckle. “It even broke; I didn’t know I had so much of it pent-up.”

Mari raised her eyebrow.

“I know you did have a lot of it… but this is a bit of an outburst, don’t you think?” she inquired.

“Hardly undeserved, Four-Eyes. If not for the glass, he’d meet my fist directly, and that’d be more adequate and just” Asuka chuckled again.

Mari sighed. “Princess” she suddenly assumed a serious tone. “I think it was stepping over the line. I invoke our covenant.”

Asuka’s smile vanished immediately.

“You can’t be serious” she protested. “This idiot caused Hell across the whole world, he deserved at least a punch!”

“Perhaps. Actually, I believe he deserved far more than that” Mari admitted. “But this is not the point here: you acted in anger outside combat, and you admitted you would punch a defenseless boy in his face.”

“I didn’t hit anyone!” Asuka raised her voice even more.

“Intent, Princess, the intent is what counts here. And you said you damaged a wall” Mari remained calm; Asuka started to see some disappointment in her eyes.

She clenched her jaw, then released it and took a deep breath. _‘Anything but that. Disappointing you feels like kicking a cat. Fuck you, Four-Eyes, have it your way. It’s not that you’re going to kill me.’_

“You’re right” she let the breath out. “Even if I’m going to regret it in the morning.” She rose to her feet assumed a more serious tone. She looked straight at Mari and began: “By the covenant, I accept your invocation. State your judgment and perform the execution” she stated in a solemn voice.

Mari smiled at her and rose to face her. “Thank you, Princess. Let us see: nobody got hurt, nobody had to calm you down, and you admitted your mistake on your own. I think a warm-up and a short run with a brush or a ruler is in order. Do you accept?”

Asuka closed her eyes. It was beginning. “Yes, I do” she whispered slowly.

“Thank you” Mari continued. “Which tool do you prefer? The brush or the ruler?”

Asuka breathed slowly in and out again. “The ruler, please.” Her voice started shaking slightly.

Mari kept smiling when she opened the bottom drawer of their wardrobe, moved some shoe boxes aside, and pulled one of them out. Opening it, she glanced at several tools and implements that would certainly give their superiors a faster heartbeat, if not an outright heart attack. Wooden and metal rulers could be easily explained, just well as the heavy, wooden hairbrush. A very non-feminine, wide leather belt would be harder to justify, but was still quite a normal thing to find in a wardrobe. But leather straps, wooden paddle with drilled holes, or cat-o-nine tails made of tightly-woven strings – not so much. Not to mention a genuine leather riding crop, secreted away underneath their underwear. All those objects were treasures, bartered for with other rare items, outright salvaged from the world-that-was, or even made to order in exchange for favors.

She fished the wooden ruler out, closed and hid the box again. Turning around, she noticed with satisfaction that Asuka had already assumed the proper waiting pose – standing upright with her hands crossed behind her back – without prompting on her part. She approached her slowly and hugged her tightly; Asuka reciprocated with eagerness.

“Ready, Princess?” she asked in a soft voice.

“I am, Four-Eyes” Asuka replied, clearly nervous. “Please begin.”

Mari released the embrace and waited for Asuka to let her go. She then sat on the bed, as deep as she could while still having her feet on the floor. “Across my knees, Princess. Time to take the kisses.”

Asuka took and released another deep breath and complied, placing herself across Mari’s lap, her bottom placed firmly on Mari’s right tight.

Mari, still wearing the soft smile, placed her palm on the redhead’s buttocks, still covered in shorts she usually wore to bed. She gave Asuka’s bottom a few gentle strokes.

“Four-Eyes, please, don’t be a tease, just get it over with!” Asuka growled.

Mari raised her eyebrows. “Patience, Princess. Or I will call upon the disruption rule and upgrade the judgment to a medium run, and then you will be sorry.”

“Don’t be a bitch, Four-Eyes” Asuka protested.

“Aaaand now you have it” Mari giggled. “Congratulations, you have just beaten your record: you got yourself a sentence extension before I even started!”

“Fuck.”

“You’re making it worse, Princess” Mari stated seriously. “A few more of those, and you’ll get even more” she paused. “But let’s not get ahead of ourselves, shall we?”

She raised her hand and a soft smack hit Asuka’s bottom. A few seconds later, another followed. And another. And another. Asuka clearly felt them, as Mari did put some strength into the swings, but they were hardly painful; first, there were two layers of fabric between the hand and her skin; second, in her career as Evangelion pilot, she has suffered far worse at the hands of the Angels.

But this was not the point. She felt subjugated, even helpless, but this was the opposite of defeat in battle. This was accepted willingly – if begrudgingly – and served her improvement. It was given not by a foe, but a friend.

After twenty-something smacks, spaced a few seconds apart, Mari’s hand rested on Asuka’s tailbone. “Remove the shorts, Princess. I wish to continue with less resistance.”

Asuka obeyed, blushing softly. She loosened the shorts and pushed them down, revealing simple striped panties. In the meantime, Mari softly ran her hand over now partially-bared bottom. Without a word, she resumed the spanking – this time, the pace was faster; Asuka could have sworn that strength was increased as well. Her blush was certainly getting stronger; having the shorts removed made her feel more vulnerable, and while Mari saw her naked numerous times – they were the only pilots aboard, and the facilities were limited, so they shared the dressing room, too – this was far more intimate than just stripping down from a plugsuit and marching to the showers.

She shivered slightly, knowing that this was not the end of it. The entire ritual became quite formalized and thus predictable over the years; she knew the steps by heart, both as the giver and the receiver.

But knowing them only added to the anticipation.

Asuka’s trail of thought was interrupted by Mari increasing the pace once more; the blows were falling nearly every second, sometimes switching buttocks, sometimes staying on the same one for a few smacks. Asuka half-moaned, half-cried when one of them crossed some threshold and sent a bolt up her spine. Mari did not stop; she just grinned.

About a minute and fifty-something smacks later – thankfully, she was not made to count the warm-up, as this was reserved for particularly mean version of the ritual – Mari suddenly stopped and stretched her hands.

“How do you feel, Princess?” she asked in a chirpy voice, admiring her handiwork; Asuka’s bottom was a beautiful shade of pink, contrasting with her otherwise pale skin.

“Like someone delivered several hundred smacks on my bottom”, Asuka replied surly. “And you?”

“Like someone who could use some more practice in delivering a proper spanking” Mari retained her cheer. “Be a good girl, Princess, and pull those panties down. I want nothing standing between my hand and your wonderful skin.”

Asuka shivered. Obviously, she anticipated that moment, but it was always something to that act, to this surrendering the last barrier. She was lost in her emotions, as usual: was it humiliation she felt, or perhaps exhilaration? Shame on being completely exposed, or maybe relief on being released from some limitation?

It was always hard to discern. Perhaps it was all of it at once.

Mari knew the feeling well and waited patiently, without teasing; she was allowing Asuka to perform the act on her own terms. Finally, Asuka reached for her panties and pushed them down.

Mari took a deep breath; she knew the responsibility, of course, and – despite her comments – did not take it lightly. After Asuka has bared her bottom, Mari pulled the panties lower so they do not get in her way and adjusted the redhead’s position on her lap.

“Ready?” Mari asked.

Asuka just nodded, hiding her face. A face that was almost as red as her hair.

The spanking resumed slowly. This time, Mari took care to make the now entirely-available bottom in front of her equally red – and she was in no hurry to reach the actual goal.

Asuka, in the meantime, was reaching the point in which all this began to feel really good; she hated that state just as she loved it; she also certainly yearned for it, to her own embarrassment. But this was the time she really felt at peace, despite it being absolutely in opposition to her own nature.

Finally, she let go and allowed the tears to flow freely. She was not exactly crying; she knew this will come, either during the finale or in the aftermath, but this was already being a relief. Mari’s smile became far warmer when she noticed the change; her blows became a bit softer.

A few minutes later, she finally stopped and rubbed Asuka’s thoroughly reddened bottom.

“Need a pause, Princess?”

Asuka shook her head; her hair was covering her face, hiding the tears, and Mari knew better than to expose that. She knew her friend will let her see it when the time is right.

“Raise then, and let me admire my handiwork” Mari commanded, and Asuka obeyed. Mari gently stroke the red skin; it was hot to the touch and obviously sensitive: even the softest touch made Asuka twitch involuntarily.

“Ready for the finale, Princess?” Mari probed gently.

“I-I am” Asuka replied in a hoarse voice.

“Assume the position, then. Hands on the table, bottom up” Mari commanded in a firmer voice.

Asuka removed her shorts and panties that until then were around her knees, took a step and placed her hands on the table, setting her legs slightly apart, arching her back down, and presenting her red bottom to her executioner. She was shaking slightly; Mari knew this reaction quite well, she had it several times herself.

“Medium run with the ruler, that means twelve hits with full force. Are you ready?”

A nod was the only answer. She reached for the ruler.

“I expect you to count. Miscount, and we will repeat the blow until you get it right. Whether to thank me is up to you.”

Another nod.

“Let us begin” Mari spoke and let the first swing land on the red bottom.

“One” came a hoarse answer to that. “Thank you, Mari” Asuka added, surprising the brunette. Using her name was a rarity for Asuka. Nicknames, friendly insults, this was common. But name… that was different.

Not that there was time to dwell on that now. Another blow fell on the redhead’s bottom, this time hitting low.

“Two” came the reply. Mari settled into the rhythm. “Three”, “four”, and “five” came in the same voice, each a little bit louder and without any thanks. The next one was not just a “six”; it was clearly “six!”, followed by a loud: “Thank you, Mari”. Mari was, as always, no matter on which side she was, thankful that the walls of the ship were rather thick – or their neighbors were discreet.

She paused and rubbed the now-bruised bottom.

“Please” a throaty whisper reached her ears. “Please, keep going.”

She nodded and raised her hand once more.

“Seven!”, “Eight!”, “Nine!” came, spaced by a few seconds each. Mari would have paused, if not for a positively haunted look from Asuka, cast from between her red hair, now partially plastered to her equally red face.

“Ten!”, “Eleven!”, “**Twelve!**” came in quick succession, followed by a cough and heavy breathing. Mari put the ruler down and eyed Asuka cautiously – but she seemed stable. Well, at least physically.

“Raise, Princess. You endured the execution well, and should be proud of yourself” Mari stated the words that usually ended this part of the ritual.

Asuka obeyed; she straightened herself, turned to face Mari, and finally pushed all the hair from her face. A face that was red, puffy, and wet from tears.

In stark contrast to all this was the unguarded smile she wore. “Thank you, Four-Eyes. Can I have a hug?” she managed, her voice still a bit gravely.

Mari wasted no time in grabbing her into her arms; she found the hug returned with a ferocity worthy of the war lady Asuka often was. Mari felt soft shudders passing through Asuka and stroke her softly, from head to just above the well-spanked bottom. “It’s fine, Princess. Cry, if you wish to.”

Asuka hesitated for a moment, then let it out. The sobs shook her body and while she did not cry loudly, Mari felt the intensity in her shaking.

They remained like that for a long time.

***

Mari found herself taking care of Asuka’s hair for the second time today, this time while standing. They were freshly washed, so brushing them was a task requiring some more care than before.

“Are you sure you don’t want the balm for that redness of yours, Princess?” Mari probed again.

“I told you before, and I will tell you again, I’m fine. It didn’t hurt **that** much” Asuka grumbled, this time with a warm undertone. “Stop being such a mother hen. It’s your doing, you know?”

Mari chuckled. “You didn’t stop me.”

“Shut up” Asuka grumbled. “I hate it when you’re right.”

***

Mari left the bathroom after finishing her final pre-bed routine only to see Asuka waiting for her, her back resting against the bedframe.

“Would you sleep with me tonight, Mari?” the redhead asked with uncharacteristic uncertainty. “Will you hold me?” she added in a wishful tone.

Mari could only nod and smile. Refusing Asuka in her vulnerable state would be harmful, not to mention just cruel – and Mari did not mind the company. Soon after, they both slid under the covers. Mari chuckled as she noticed that Asuka wore nothing but her t-shirt. It made sense to her, though – after all, it was her who made sure Asuka’s bottom would be sore for a while.

“Your shorts are rough” Asuka grumbled. “Can you get rid of them?”

Mari just rolled her eyes and complied with the sulking redhead. Embracing Asuka from behind, she felt the heat of her reddened skin in her own lap as she settled as the big spoon.

It was uncommon for them to sleep like that. The bunk bed served them well: Asuka tossed in her sleep mercilessly, making sleeping next to her an impossibility even if they would feel a need to sleep together. But sometimes, at times like that, it was quite different.

Asuka fell asleep almost instantly; her steady breath had a calming effect on Mari, but it was not enough to put her to sleep just yet. The lights were out, except for the indicators that would guide them in case of an alarm. The Wunder’s engines were rumbling softly; the ship was in the night mode, crew asleep except for the mid watch.

Mari let her thoughts flow and soon, she was replaying the entire scene in her mind, step by step: beginning with her invoking the covenant and ending with her leading Asuka to the bathroom and letting her recover her composure. A smile crept to her face and she tightened her embrace around the redhead, who mumbled something in her sleep in response; doubtlessly a complaint against rubbing against her sensitive spots.

Mari’s thoughts then went to the issue she had struggled with for years: she could never properly name the bond they have developed over the years, not to mention define it; most words were either inadequate or too far-reaching. She kept trying, of course – while at the same time, Asuka never even attempted to define what was between them, even when Mari asked her or even tried to pry the answer from her; she simply lived that bond, breathed it, relished in it, and relied on it.

Despite that inability and Asuka’s lack of cooperation, Mari was sure of one thing, though: they fit together perfectly.

That thought brought a smile to her face, and with that smile, she was finally able to drift off to sleep.


End file.
